The present invention relates generally to an animal excrement removal device and, more particularly, to a hand held or portable animal excrement removal device which may be used by an individual when walking his or her animal. The device of the present invention includes an excrement containing housing including in one embodiment a disposable bag adapted to receive and retain the excrement and then permit ready disposal of it without the individual having to handle or otherwise contact the excrement. It further includes piston means adapted to generate sufficient suction in the excrement containing housing so as to draw the excrement therein. Priming means are further provided for actuating the piston means and release means are included to release the piston means from its actuated position and thus generate suction in the housing.
It will be appreciated that in an urban environment animal excrement has become an increasingly serious problem and a number of municipalities have enacted "curb your dog" ordinances not only requiring that animals be walked on leashes in the streets but that their owners assume responsibility for removal of their animal's excrement from the street. For example, New York City has enacted legislation requiring a dog owner to remove the dog's excrement from the street or be fined for failure to comply.
Accordingly, a number of commercially available devices have been developed and marketed to assist an animal owner in removing his animal's excrement from city street. Such devices include, for example, chemical devices to chemically decompose the fecal matter as well as other hand held or wheeled devices for scraping or shoveling it up into containers.
Such prior art devices present a number of disadvantages including, for example, extreme bulkiness or they require the owner to physically handle the animal's excrement in order to dispose of it.
Against the foregoing background, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide an animal excrement removal device wherein the excrement is drawn into an excrement containing housing by suction generated by the device.
It is another object of the present invention to provide such a device wherein the suction is generated by piston means contained within the device.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a device wherein the piston means are cocked or otherwise actuated by mechanically-assisted priming means.
It is yet still another object of the present invention to provide such a device which is readily capable of being operated and carried by an animal owner.
It is still yet another object of the present invention to provide such a device wherein a disposable bag may be included in the excrement containing housing for easy disposal by the owner.